


Matchmaker

by NahaFlowers



Category: Black Sails
Genre: F/F, Flint is the ultimate dad, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 22:19:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13133382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NahaFlowers/pseuds/NahaFlowers
Summary: Flint plays inadvertent matchmaker to Max and Eleanor. Originally posted on Tumblr.





	Matchmaker

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the tag 'also he probably encouraged her to go for Eleanor' on bisexualpirateheart's tumblr post

“Hello.”

James looked up. One of the women from the brothel had just sat down opposite him on his table at the tavern. Although she was barely more than a girl, really. In fact, James was fairly sure it was the girl Eleanor was always talking about. Her innocent crush was almost painful to watch, and James felt fiercely protective of her every time she mentioned it.

“It’s Max, isn’t it?” he said, attempting to smile up at the girl. It wouldn’t do to upset her, if only because that would upset Eleanor. “I’m not interested, I’m afraid.” He looked up again when there was no response from the girl, to find her staring intently at him, a smile playing on her lips. “And I’m busy,” he added firmly.

Max snorted. “I wasn’t here for  _that_ ” she said, in her accented English, and James wondered vaguely about her background.

“Oh,” he said, feeling wrongfooted. “What are you here for then?” As soon as he said it, he knew he had said it too roughly, and cringed internally. Max, however, didn’t seem to be put off - on the contrary, she was smiling even wider.

“You are close to Miss Guthrie, are you not?” she asked eventually.

“I see her as a partner, yes,” said James, wondering what she was insinuating. He hoped not that. He and Eleanor were…friends, he supposed. Partners and allies, certainly. Nothing more than that.

“Then, will you tell me, captain Flint…” Max trailed off, suddenly looking shy. “Does she like me?” Her voice was quiet, less confident, but imbued with quivering feeling, and James was knocked off his feet by the memories that brought back.

“She talks about you all the time,” he said in a hushed voice, and then immediately berated himself. That was supposed to be a secret. Eleanor hadn’t wanted him to tell anyone. What if Max hurt her?

Then he looked at Max and saw the softening of her eyes, the joy lighting them up from inside, and he knew Max wouldn’t hurt her, not if she could help it.

“Thank you,” she said. “I just had to be sure, before…thank you.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, and he sat there for a moment, blinking slowly, confused about what had just happened. When he focused again, Max had gone.

Later that day, Eleanor found him on the beach, where he was overseeing the repairs of the Walrus. She immediately embraced him, much to his surprise, although not, he found, to his displeasure.

“Eleanor,” he cracked out.

“Thank you,” Eleanor whispered in his ear, and then his cheek was kissed for the second time that day.

“What for?” he asked as Eleanor drew back slightly, looking at him affectionately.

“For what you told Max. We’re - well,” she cleared her throat, looking both embarrassed and pleased. “We’re together now.”

James smiled and this time it was truly genuine, feeling a surge of love and protectiveness for this young girl that he didn’t think possible, least ways not for men who weren’t fathers themselves. “I didn’t really do anything,” he admitted.

“Oh, nonsense,” she said. Her voice went quiet, in a way James recognised as her saying something meaningful. “Thank you for being so supportive of me. Even in- even in this.”

James softened. “Eleanor, I-” What could he say? There were so many things he wanted to say, that this was one thing she would always have his support in, that she was never to feel any shame for her feelings, that he had been taught by someone much better and braver than him, and that James only wanted to pass on that legacy…but he said nothing, merely shaking his head. “You’re welcome,” he whispered.

Eleanor nodded and smiled, bright and warm, and James thought, unbidden, how Thomas would have loved her. He turned away from her light, desperate to hide his pain from her - she did not need to see that, did not deserve it.

“Goodbye, then, Captain Flint,” she said, sounding a little uncertain suddenly.

James just nodded, attempting a smile again.

As she walked away, James wondered if he ought to bring Meditations for Eleanor to borrow next time he visited Miranda. Part of him curled up defensively at the thought of letting anyone but Miranda and he so much as touch it, but on the other hand…he couldn’t shake the feeling that Eleanor had earned it. 


End file.
